Sunday, June 5, Relay for Life of Barton County is hosting a Survivor Reception poolside at the Black Angus Best Western, 2920 10th Street, Great Bend, from 2 to 4 p.m. The come and go get-together will have door-prizes and refreshments. Survivors can pick up their survivor t-shirts prior to Relay for Life.
Throughout the year, teams from all over Barton County have been raising funds for the 2016 Relay for Life. A look at Relay for Life of Barton County’s facebook page tells the story of ordinary people coming together to hold bake sales, pulled pork dinners, brunches and pancake feeds, 5K run/walks and “Diva Days” in an effort to keep Barton County a top contributor in the state to the cause focused on finding and funding a cure for cancer, a disease that has stolen many lives in its many forms.
For the past 21 years, Barton County Relay for Life has been held somewhere in Great Bend. Weather has been a factor, and last year it forced a last minute change of venue to the Great Bend Auditorium. It prompted organizers to consider making changes, and this year Relay for Life will be held at the Hoisington Activity Center on June 10.
“This is a wonderful Barton County event, and we’re happy they selected us to host it this year,” Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell said Thursday afternoon.
Mariann Shook with Barton County Relay for Life is organizing the event. In addition to the new location, she said, this year the event will follow suit with other events around the state and the closing ceremony will be held at 2 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. Other communities that have tried the new format have found that attendance remains higher at the end, while in communities that use the full 12-hour format, usually only a handful of participants remain at the end.
“The changes have been a challenge,” she said, “but it’s important to remember the meaning of Relay for Life and why we are there, whether it ends early or late.”
Another change for the better, Shook added, is this year there will be an activity room for children at Relay for Life, where kids can play or craft, and will be available throughout the entire event.
In May, the Purple is Powerful Survivor Choir began to assemble, and will perform the Star Spangled Banner the night of the event, Shook said. Additional choir members will be accepted the day of the event too, so the center will ring with the voices of those who have faced cancer and beat it.
There are 26 teams registered for the event, and many will have “camp sites” in the gymnasium at the center. The national theme this year is “Paint your world purple,” and Barton County has added its own theme, Dr. Seuss.
“You’ll see a lot of purple there, and we’re encouraging teams to decorate luminaries with Dr. Seuss sayings and images,” Shook said.
What’s happening when
The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with an opening ceremony led by the American Legion Riders, followed by the Survivors Walk at 6:30 p.m..
Students from Danceography in Great Bend will perform at 7 p.m. A silent auction will be held from 7 to 10:30 p.m. and Great Bend Appliance will draw for Kitchenaid mixers that Relay teams have been selling chances for in the past few months. There will also be a drawing for a quilt around the same time, Shook said.
Throughout the night, there will be a variety of entertainment from local artists including MacKenzie Norman, Alex Cartwright, Lana Henderson’s “Adoration,” Ellinwood High School senior Katelyn Robinson, Krista Ball.
Two dj’s will be on hand to keep the atmosphere right all night. They are KZNC Dj’s and Leonard Nicholson of Timber Creek Dj. Nicholson will also be master of ceremonies for the event.
John Makings of Rhythm Makings will lead an interactive drum program.
At 9:30 p.m., the Luminary ceremony will begin. Lights will be darkened, and the luminaries will be lit, with names read. Teams and individuals are encouraged to walk in honor and in memory of loved ones who have fought cancer. Luminaries can be purchased in advance, or the night of the event for $10 each.
“This is the heart of what Relay is all about,” Shook said. “The reason we do this is to help find cures so someday we won’t have any reason to have a Relay.”
At 10:30 a.m., a karaoke relay will begin, followed by more entertainment. As 2 a.m. draws near, the Dominican Sisters of Peace will lead the closing ceremony.
The Barton County Relay for Life is sponsored by Clara Barton Hospital and Clinics, Great Bend Regional Hospital, Kansas Medical Specialists, Great Bend Tribune, 100.7 Eagle Country Hits, Great Bend Appliance and Furniture Source, Hits 106.9, Farmers Bank & Trust, Scott’s Welding Service, Nex-Tech, Superior Essex, Damon Family Foundation, Stueder Contractors, USD #431/ Hoisington Recreation Commission, Rhythm Makings, John Makings.
